It’s been awhile since I posted to Colin’s Ghost but I have a good excuse! I have been working on a manuscript authored by Kelso’s long time exercise rider Dickie Jenkins. I am thrilled to finally make it available. It’s an important contribution to the story of one of the greatest thoroughbreds of the last century and I am honored that its owner, Anne Pfister, asked me to publish it here.

Image: Dickie Jenkins and Kelso at Laurel Park. Cover of the Turf and Sport Digest, January 1962

You can read Mr. Jenkin’s memories of Kelso and how his manuscript came to be by clicking the following:

4 Responses to “Dickie Jenkins memoir about the mighty Kelso now online”

Kelso has been my favorite racehorse since I was a child and a real highlight for me was seeing him work at Aiken one spring. The closest I ever got after that was a visit to his grave a few years ago.

Plus the editing is almost invisible but unless the narrator of his own story learned how to speak so eloquently/simply, it stands to reason that you were able to deftly skim the chaff and keep the grain. My hat is off to you, repeatedly.

The years following 1962 can be found in my “Legends” book on Kelso, as a major portion of the book was based on Dickie Jenkins’ recollections. He told me then he was working on his own book on Kelso. It was Dickie who provided in depth detail of Kelso’s final days (of his life) when they brought him back to the track, despite protests from Dickie that it was the wrong thing to do. Dickie was quite opinionated about many things and people. And he had instant recall when it came to everything Kelso from the beginning to the end of the horse’s life.